Author: Dave West

Dave West is a writer, interviewer, and podcaster who also hosts game shows, wrestling events, and rock concerts as his alter ego, Phantom Troublemaker. As the owner/operator of NeedlessThingsPodcast.com he has been providing commentary on toys, movies, music, and all manner of pop culture for over a decade.

Needless Things Podcast 252 – Alita: Battle Angel

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ddfp3-a7e91f

Dave, Ryan Cadaver, and Nicole Ghouled caught an early sneak preview of Robert Rodriguez’ adaptation of the classic manga, Battle Angel Alita this past Monday. All three were so enthralled by and impressed with the movie that they had to get together to discuss it for this week’s episode of the Needless Things Podcast!

Starting with the manga in 1990 and then the animated adaptation in 1993, the story of this warrior has been inspiring fans for decades. Battle Angel draws from many classic genre styles while retaining a unique voice and style of its own. Those same inspired fans have been curious about a live action adaptation, and when James Cameron announced his intention to create one, things seemed promising.
The production process, however, was a long one. This left many doubting the project would ever truly see the light of day. But then the pieces starting coming together, with the unparalleled Robert Rodriguez as director, Rosa Salazar as the titular cyborg, and perhaps most impressively, Cristoph Waltz as Dr. Ido.
With such a promising team assembled, the ambitious film was a go and is now ready to be unleashed upon the world to inspire a whole new generation!
Listen in as Dave, Ryan, and Nicole break down this compelling cyberpunk fairytale!
Be sure to join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! Let us know what you think!

“Procrastibate” by LeSexoflex.com
Interstitial music provided by The Mystery Men?

Movie Review – 14 Thoughts About The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

SPOILER WARNING – THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR WARNER BROS. PICTURES’ NEW FILM THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

My whole family loved The LEGO Movie.

It looked amazing, the story was fantastic, and all of those pop culture icons crossing over with each other was mind-blowing. We’ve watched it several times, we bought the sets, and we played the video game. That movie wildly exceeded our expectations, but it wasn’t just because it was better than it had any right to be, it was because it’s a legitimately great movie.

That was five years ago.

My son is eleven now and, like many formerly favorite toy lines (RIP Imaginext), LEGO isn’t on his radar like it used to be. He was still excited about the movie and the tie-in video game, but our level of immersion into the worlds of LEGO just isn’t what it was in 2014. As a result I haven’t really been as excited about this sequel. Watching your children grow up is wonderful but also brutal, and each passing day brings more reminders that things will never be the way they were.

In short, everything is not awesome.

Another factor in my lack of excitement for The LEGO Movie 2 is that sequels to family films tend to not be very good. The decline in quality is typically pretty severe, even more so than other types of films. On top of that I didn’t particularly love The LEGO  Batman Movie and I thought The LEGO Ninjago Movie was absolutely terrible.

I still had hope for this sequel – after all, the writers of the original movie were back where they belonged – but I can’t say I was genuinely excited beyond the fact that I knew we were going to see it as a family. And family events are always something I look forward to.

Did Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring it once again? Was it even possible for this sequel to live up to the excellent standard set by the original? Read on and find out! Continue reading “Movie Review – 14 Thoughts About The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” →

Needless Things Podcast 251 – Sting & Ric Flair LIVE from Dragon Con

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-i8bhu-a722ef

This episode of the Needless Things Podcast was recorded in front of a packed ballroom audience at Dragon Con 2018!

The man called Sting is one of the most decorated and celebrated heroes in the history of professional wrestling.
The Nature Boy Ric Flair is an unprecedented sixteen time World Champion and is generally regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time.
These men have faced each other – and hundreds of other opponents – countless times through the decades. And now, moderated by your Needless Things host, they will share tales of battle and glory LIVE from Dragon Con!
Listen in as Dave takes the stage with two of wrestling’s biggest legends!
Be sure to join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! Let us know what you think!

“Procrastibate” by LeSexoflex.com
Interstitial music provided by The Mystery Men?

Comic Book Wednesday – Previews February 2019: “Megadeth”

If you don’t know, Previews is the catalog that Diamond Comic Distributors use to offer the products they distribute to comic book stores around the country. This is where you can view and order (through your favorite Local Comic Book Shop) comic books, trade paperback collections, t-shirts, books, media, and toys and other collectibles from hundreds of different vendors that deal in geek-oriented merchandise. The genius part is that you actually have to pay for your copy of Previews for the privilege of ordering other things to pay for.

It’s like the Ren Fest except without the horse poo smell.

So every month a new edition of Previews is sent out to comic book stores. Contained in the pages within are products that might be currently available or could be released anytime in the next year; but are typically about two months away.

Now it’s time to discuss a few of the weird and/or wonderful items offered in this month’s edition!

NOTE: Due to weather conditions(?!?), the actual physical copies of Previews did not make it to Metro Atlanta are comic shops(!). As a result this month’s post is being composed using the online catalog. This means everything will be wacky and out of order, but I trust you guys to handle it like the mature adults we all are.

For instance, I definitely didn’t have a few moments of, “Well F**K IT THEN. I just won’t write it this month!”

A side effect of writing the post this way is that it’s likely to be much leaner. Without being able to see blurbs and creative teams at a glance I’m probably going to end up skipping a few interesting things. Continue reading “Comic Book Wednesday – Previews February 2019: “Megadeth”” →